The Austin Interview22 Sep 1966 Austin Texas Published in "Retrospective" ed. by Craig Mcgregor as "An interview in Austin Texas"
Reprinted in "Bob Dylan" by Miles; also reprinted in "Positively Tie Dream" (Ashes and Sand
1979)(date given as Summer 1965)

Reporter: What do you consider yourself? How would you classify
yourself?

Bob Dylan: Well, I like to think of myself in terms of a trapeze
artist.

Reporter: Speaking of trapeze artists, I've noticed in some of
your recent albums a carnival-type sound. Could you tell me a
little about that?

Bob Dylan: That isn't a carnival sound, that's religious. That's
very real, you can see that anywhere.

Reporter: What about this "Ballad of a Thin Man"? This sounds as
though it might have been dedicated to a newspaper reporter or
something.

Bob Dylan: No, it's just about a fella that came into a truckstop
once.

Reporter: Have the Beatles had any influence on your work?

Bob Dylan: Well, they haven't influenced the songs or sound. I don't
know what other kind of influence they might have. They haven't
influenced the songs or the sound.

Reporter: In an article in "The New Yorker," written by Nat Hentoff, I
believe, you said you sang what you felt and you sang to make yourself
feel good, more or less. And it was implied that in your first two
albums you sang "finger-pointing songs," I believe.

Bob Dylan: Well, what he was saying was, I mean, I wasn't playing then
and it was still sort of a small nucleus at that time and by the
definition of why do you sing, I sing for the people. He was saying,
"Why do you sing?" and I couldn't think of an answer except that I felt
like singing, that's all.

Reporter: Why is it different?

Bob Dylan: Come on, come on.

Reporter: What is your attitude toward your "finger-pointing" songs? He
implied that you thought they were just superficial.

Bob Dylan: No, it's not superficial, it's just motivated. Motivated.
Uncontrollable motivation. Which anyone can do, once they get
uncontrollably motivated.

Reporter: You said before that you sang because you had to. Why do you
sing now?

Bob Dylan: Because I have to.

Reporter: Your voice in here is soft and gentle. Yet in some of your
records, there's a harsh twang.

Bob Dylan: I just got up.

Reporter: Could you give me some sort of evaluation as far as your own
taste is concerned, comparing some of the things you did, like old
music, say, "Girl from the North Country," which I consider a very
beautiful- type ballad? Perhaps some of the things that have come out
in the last couple of albums--do you get the same satisfaction out of
doing this?

Bob Dylan: Yeah, I do. I wish I could write like "Girl from the North
Country." You know, I can't write like that any more.

Reporter: Why is that?

Bob Dylan: I don't know.

Reporter: Are you trying to accomplish anything?

Bob Dylan: Am I trying to accomplish anything?

Reporter: Are you trying to change the world or anything?

Bob Dylan: Am I trying to change the world? Is that your question?

Reporter: Well, do you have any idealism or anything?

Bob Dylan: Am I trying to change the idealism of the world? Is that it?

Reporter: Well, are you trying to push over idealism to the people?

Bob Dylan: Well, what do you think my ideas are?

Reporter: Well, I don't exactly know. But are you singing just to be
singing?

Bob Dylan: No, I'm not singing to be singing. There's a much deeper
reason for it than that.

Reporter: In a lot of the songs you sing you seem to express a
pessimistic attitude toward life. It seems that "Hollis Brown" gives me
that feeling. Is this your true feeling or are you just trying to shock
people?